Valve operating and indicating post



Patented 001'.. 29, 1889.

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J R FREEMAN l VALVE OPERATING AND INDICATING POST. No. 413,714.

(No Model.)

i I INITEDV STATESr PATENT 'l jOFEIcE,

Jol-In n. FREEMAN, oE noSToN, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE OPERATING A-ND INDICATING POST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent No. 413,714, dated October 29, 1889. Application filed April 23,1889.l Serial No. 308,318. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

A -Be it known that I, JOHN R. FREEMAN, of

. Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Valve i Operating and Indicating Posts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

. like letters on the drawings representing likeparts.

y ro.

In mill-yards and other places valves'flor gas, water, and other pipes are usually placed beneath the surface of the ground, the actui ating valve-stems ofv which extend upward, and

are accessible sometimes by chambers into which a man can descend, and thus operate the valve manually; but more generally said valvestems are operated through a sm all pipe or. valve-box, so called, reaching through valve to surfacesaid pipe receiving a long' key or Wrench for turning the valve.V In thisr latter instance the valve is usually invisible to the operator. Various forms of valves are n used for this purpose; but -the one most 'com- 1 j monly used is a gate-valve, wherein the valve proper is moved by a spindle or stem whichj rotates, but does not move longitudinally.; j Some valvesopen by turning the spindles or stems -tothe' right 'and othersto the left this form of valve, when Vused vas an un@ dergr'ound valve, much difficulty has been eX- `perienced by not knowingwith certainty the position. ot the valve or whether the spindle or stemshould 4be turnedto the right Ior t the wleft to open or close it, and as a resultJ dangerous delays in case of re or accident v sometimesoccur owingto difficulty in properly applying the keyor wrench to the spindle.

. j,` This-invention has for itsobject to provide a valve which is located beneath the surface of the ground vand actuated by a rotatable vspindlewith an. indicator to indicate the po;

sition of the 'valve proper, and permanent v conditions.

.means, Aor means positively connected with the vinc licatorisalsoV valuable as showing the exe, Vof ythe valve lunder any and all I ngvcarryingout this `invention the spindle -v o stern ofthe valve is appropriately extended 50i jtainsa' telescopic j oint, compensating for adjustment for diierent heights, and said eX- tensible spindle or rod is inclosed in a caseres'einbling a post.

The indicator proper, or tell-tale, as it 5 5 may be termed, is placed on the spindle or,`l stem in the Saidv inclosing case or post at ornear the-top, and is movable vertically back of an opening or equivalent formed in the case or post. 6o

The inclosing-post is preferably extensible or provided with a telescopic joint te be read-L ily applicable to valves located at different depths.A

Figure l shows in elevation and partial sec- 65 tion a valve provided with an indicator in ac 5 cordance with this invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged vertical section ofV a portion of the valve-spindle, and showing the indicator or tell-tale', Fig. 3, a side elevation of a portion 7o of the lower end of the inclosing case or post,r illustrating the clamping device or grip of thetelescopic joint; Fig. 4.-, a cross-section of the inclosing-case, indicator, or tell-tale, and spindie or stem, taken on the dotted line Fig. 75 2; Figs. 5 and 6, a detail to be referred to.

. The valve-casev A, of any suitable or usual constructiomcontains a valve prop-er and a spindle or stem, as a, having ordinarily a .square end'a. A key consisting of a tubular 8o rod or bar b is tttedfonto the squared end c y of, the valvestem, said tubular rod or bar at 'its upper 'end being tapered and made angular, as at b', to receive an angular rod orbar c, (herein shown as q uadrangular,) a'ring b2 85 encircling the said tapered end of the rod orr bar b to prevent splitting, and for the further purpose of preventing the rod c from being placed or pushed down outside the tube b. The tubular rod b and rode comprise the essen- 9o tial elements of an extension of the valve-stein.. a andare retained in position by a wire o, passi' ing around the stem d and through a hole inthe tube b or other fastening. The rods b and c, joined as described, are extensible, to compen- 95 sate for the various depths to which the valves,

A may be placed. The rod c preferably has at its upper end a handwheel or other suitable device d, by which it may be revolved, and said rod has formed on it or secured to it a scre'w- Ico` threaded portion d', (seel Figs. 1 and 5,) said screwportion being herein Vshown as cored out" interiorly and 'formed with squared sockets at the ends to receive the rod c. The screwthreaded portion d rests directly on a flange, (shown as a collar 2O Welded to the rod c,) and at the top the portion d has a flange 2l, upon which rests a bushing 22,which bushing surrounds the upper end of the said portion d. A square or angular collar 23 is placed on the rod c, it resting on the bushing 22 and portion d", and being positively held in place by a pin or screw, these elements, taken collectively, presenting a constructionwhich cannot easily get out of order.

The indicator herein shown consists of a collar e, interiorly screw-threaded to receive the screw-threaded portion d and carrying the side or face plates e,'t\vo being herein shown, these parts constituting the tell-tale. The collar e and its attached side plates are prevented from rotating on the portion d as the latter revolves by contact with the interior wall of an inclosing-ease for the operatingparts.

Dierent valves require a different number ot' turns, and hence to move the indicator a definite distance a different number of screw-threads to the inch must be employed, and hence I have herein shown the portion d and collar e removable for this purpose. An inclosing-case is provided for the operating parts,which, as herein shown, consists of a tubular portion f, the foot of which rests upon the valve-ease A, and which extends vertically to or near the level of the surface of the ground, and an adjustable top portion is provided, (herein shown as a tubular case j inclosing the parts,) the lower end of which embraces the portion f, and is secured thereto by a clamping-plate and bolts f3. (See Fig. 3.) This portion j" extends above the surface of the ground, and has at or near its upper end openings at each side, at which part it is so formed interiorly that the telltale c e will bear against its inner side walls, for the purposes above stated.V

At the openings at the top of the post sashboxes j"1 are inserted, into which a plate of glass is secured, said sash-boxes being removable for the purpose of cleansing the glass. To prevent the accumulation of moisture on the inside of the glass, vent-holes 2 3 4 5 are provided.

The case f maybe made ornamental, if desired, and in the case shown is' formed with panels, upon which the name of the especial part of pipe-stem controlled by the valve may be inscribed.

The hand-wheel d is secured to the post by a strap o', which to render operation possible must be cut.

In operation, by turning the hand wheel d or the upper squared end of the stem c, to which the hand-Wheel is attached by a Wrench, and thereby rotating the spindle or stem, the tell-tale e e will be raised and lowered by means of the screw-threaded portion d', ac-

cording to the direction vof rotation of said spindle or stem, and upon the face or faces of said tell-tale the Words Open and Shut are placed, which are visible through the openings f in the case.

The foot g of the inclosingcase is made oval or elongated, as indicated in Fig. G, to be used in different relative positions on the valve.

To prevent the case from being lifted by frost or otherwise, a strap t, in closing the valve, is attached to the foot g.

I do not desire to limit my invention to any particular construction of spindle or stem for the valve, but one arranged extensible or formed with a telescopic joint is desirable; nor do I desire to limit my invention to any particular formation of c'ase for the operating parts, but 011e vertically adjustable or having a .telescopic joint is preferable.r Moreover, even though the indicator o1' tell-tale be omitted, the remaining key and inclosingcase furnish novel and valuable devices for readily operating an underground valve, and even though the portion of the upper inclosing-case projecting above the surface of the ground be omitted and a telescopic key be retained with itshand-Wheel resting ordinarily at or near the surface of the ground, this can, in case of need, be pulled up to a conyenieut height for operation, and the Valve be operated thereby.

1. The combination, with an underground valve, of a case for the valve-operating stem, said case comprising two or more parts jointed telescopically and having the clamping-plate f2 and bolts f3, substantially as described.

2. A valve and valve-stem or extension thereof bearing a screw-threaded portion d', combined with an inclosing-case for the valvestem, having transparent Windows or openings through it, and a tell-tale or indicator, as e c', placed upon the screw-threaded portion d" of said valve-stem and movable longitudinally thereon back of the said openings, whereby the location of the valve may be indicated, substantially as described.

3. The valve placed beneath the surface of the ground and having an extended valvestem, and an indicator moved by said valvestem, combined with the inclosingcase for the valve-stem, rising above the surface of the ground and having op'euings through it for showing the tell-tale, substantially as described.

4. A valve and valve-stem and indicator moved by said valve-stem, combined with the inclosing-case consisting of the tubular portion f and the tubular portion f, clamped thereon and having one or more transparent windows or openings, back of which the telltale or indicator is moved, substantially as described.

5. The valve, valve-stem, and tell-tale or indicator moved by the valve-stem directly or indirectly, combined with an inclosingcase having transparent portions, through IOO IIO

8. A valve and valve-stem and indicator bearing` Words indicating the location of the valve moved directly or indirectly by said stem, combined With an inclosing-case having,r portions through Which the indicator is visible; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specicationin the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN R. FREEMAN.

"Witnesses:

BERNIOE J. NoYEs, A. S. WIEGAND. 

